Nambe Pueblo

Nambe Pueblo is a census-designated place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. "Nambe" means "rounded earth" in Tewa, and it was founded in the 14th century by the Puebloan Native Americans. The Pueblo was a primary cultural, economic, and religious center for centuries, serving in this position until Spain's invasion of Pueblo lands. In 1598, the Spanish explorer Juan de Onate arrived with soldiers and forced the Nambe Pueblo to pay him taxes with cotton, crops, and labor. Catholic missionaries also came into the area, threatening native religious beliefs. They renamed pueblos with saints' names, and the first church in the pueblo was built in the early 1600s. The Spanish introduced peaches, peppers, and wheat to the community, and a 1620 royal decree assigned civil offices to each Pueblo. In 1680, Nambe participated in the Pueblo Revolt, which drove the Spanish from the lands. In 2010, Nambe had a population of 1,818 people.